IS A DORE A LT ER NATI V E SOUL SUSHI JERSE Y & BIB SHORTS
£125; £135
Isadore, better known for its stylish high-end bike kit, has introduced a new line that is made completely from recycled materials, including the chamois pad.
The Soul Sushi jersey is a lightweight summer design with a closed fabric used on the front and rear, and highly meshed flanks to the main body. Neat, flat seams and laser-cut ends are great to see, as is the neatly garaged full-zip that’s chunkier than some. The hem is detailed with a reflective strip and the traditional three rear pockets are neatlystitched to reinforce them.
The materials are also manufactured in a low environmental impact production facility. The jersey is treated with the HeiQ™ process, which eliminates odours.
The jersey is silky to the touch and summerfriendly light in weight. It’s certainly not what you’d expect if someone said ‘recycled’ fabric. The quality of the finish from seams to zips to the laser-cut edging all screams quality and, on the road, the jersey is a firm favourite for warmer rides.
The matching Alternative bibs use two fabrics in the leg construction. On the inner panels it’s a more compressive fabric, which feels supportive when worn. The forward-facing thigh panels are open weave, providing breathability. This fabric extends up onto the flanks of your midriff blending into broad straps, which use an open breathable weave that continues through the Y-shaped back.
The legs are laser cut and use an imprinted fine-dot pattern as leg grippers, which despite being minimal offers a tenacious grip. Inside, the Isadore-designed ElasticInterface pad is also made from recycled material. They haven’t skimped on padding: the 3D pad has five multi-density layers and is one of the better endurance style pads we’ve used. At £135 the shorts aren’t cheap but we’d put them with shorts double the price.